Ripples
by Jazz Tentacles
Summary: The squids have usurped Minecraftia, and the Sky Army has disbanded. Adam battles for his sanity in prison, while Mitch struggles to survive while on the run. Meanwhile, Seto is thrust into a position of leadership, and a captive Bonks plots a rebellion with a member of the squid nobility.
1. I

**Hi, everyone! I'm breezyVocalist, and welcome to _Ripples_! Before I begin, there's some stuff below that you probably should read. IT'S ALL VERY IMPORTANT. PLEASE READ UNTIL THE END.**

 **This is a rewrite of a little fanfic I started writing about a year and a half ago. This new version has been GREATLY expanded and changed. There are now five different POV characters instead of one, several characters will have their roles expanded, I've altered the plot, and I have added two more major OCs.**

 **This story is an AU. It begins in February of 2014, and takes place within the game of Minecraft. It is based on what I know about the YouTubers I'm featuring, as well as my own personal headcanons and ships. While I will try to stick to the facts as much as possible, my focus is not getting every little detail right.**

 **One more thing: before each chapter, I will list a song that I listened to while writing it. Most of the songs will be from the Homestuck or Undertale soundtracks, since that's pretty much all I listen to (I'm a nerd). I recommend listening to my suggested songs, since they are all very good, but you don't have to if you don't want to.**

 **All of the general housekeeping information is in my profile. Constructive criticism and positive feedback are greatly appreciated, but flames are not.**

* * *

 ** _Ripples -_ I**

 **POV** \- Adam

 **Music tip** \- Once Upon a Time ( _Undertale_ OST, Toby Fox)

* * *

To Adam, there were several facts that were quite simply indisputable. Butter was the best substance in existence; his family and his friends were important above all else; squids were the stupidest of all creatures in Minecraftia.

"The Squid Army is planning to attack very soon" did not line up with those facts.

Adam was still in shock, although it had already been an hour since the news had arrived. Squids weren't _supposed_ to come on land at all, much less attack. He knew that he should think of a plan before word got out, but how was he supposed to plan for something he didn't even know was possible? He had no idea what to do.

Fortunately, he knew someone who probably did.

He opened Skype, scrolled to the bottom of his contact list, and clicked on the last name. He only had to wait a moment before his friend picked up.

"Hey, Adam!" Seto chirped, smiling brightly. "What's up?"

"Seto, I have a problem," Adam said grimly. "I need your help."

Seto's grin faded. "What's the matter?"

"To make a long story short, I've received intel from the Sky Army base just south of Spawn City that pretty much suggests that the squids are planning an offense," Adam explained.

"You really think so?" Seto asked, brow furrowed. "I didn't think they would be able to launch an attack on dry land at all because they're squids...how do you know?"

"Well, they're reporting more squids along the coastlines and gathered in one spot a little ways off shore—wait, that solves the problem right there. We just send some boats out to sea, drop a load of TNT down there, and stop the invasion before it starts."

Seto sighed. "Adam...no."

"Why not? It'll take out enough of them that there won't be a problem anymore. We can stop the invasion before it starts, Seto! It seems like a pretty good idea to _me_ ," Adam protested.

"The problem is that you're not thinking things through rationally. If we proceed with your plan and blow up the squid spot because you _think_ they're going to come for us, then that'll just give the survivors a _motive_ to do so. We should just leave them alone," Seto said.

"We can't just forget about it! If they actually do show up and we're not prepared, it'll be my fault. We have to do something—"

"Even better. If you really want to prevent an assault, then what you really should do is work out a peace treaty with the squids," Seto interrupted.

"A treaty—with the squids—what?" Adam sputtered.

"Don't worry about it. You'll have to be there when we actually work out the terms, but I'll take care of everything else—" Seto continued.

"Don't—" Adam interjected.

"It shouldn't be that hard to make contact. You know, maybe this wasn't a bad thing. We can finally fix this mess once and for all."

" _Seto_ , _I'm not_ —"

"Adam, _please_ let me do this for you. It's for the best," Seto said, a small smile spreading across his thin face.

"Seto!"

But he had already hung up. Adam put his head in his hands and sighed. Why did these things always happen to him?

* * *

 **Just a short little chapter to get the ball rolling. This will probably be the shortest chapter in the entire story.**

 **Next chapter: exposition and squids.**

 **Please leave a review, it shows that you care!**


	2. II

**Alright. I know it's been almost three months since I last updated (and I missed my deadline three times), but I can explain.**

 **I have been so busy with school and drama club, I barely had time to write anything. I'm an honor student, so I had a LOT of really hard work to focus on (especially in math). On top of that, I was in _The Little Mermaid_ at school (which was a big deal - we sold out three out of four shows) as one of the mersisters (HUGE deal - I was one of two freshman girls with a speaking role). Those two things ate up a lot of my time. However, I will be able to update more now, since the play is over.**

 **Thanks to DarkWolf133, djpurple3, and Naf1a7Ate9 for reviewing.**

 **Also thanks to Chocolatepie277, DragonicPhoenix, Enth WhoaCreeper, Momolinia32, Naf1a7Ate9, RebelWingsProductions97, and sonicxjones for favoriting, and to Blazearaxy, Chocolatepie277, DarkWolf133, Momolinia32, Naf1a7Ate9, RebelWingsProductions97, Tim46billion, djpurple3, and sonicxjones for following.**

 **Special thanks to Naf1a7Ate9 for writing tips, and welcome back!**

* * *

 **Ripples - II**

 **POV -** Seto

 **Music tip -** Bargaining with the Beast (Homestuck Vol. 8)

* * *

Seto was trying his best to stay optimistic, but Adam's complaining was starting to grate on his nerves.

"Honestly, Seto, do we haaaave to make this treaty? They're just squids. What's the point?" Adam said from his seat to Seto's left. He sat at the end of a wooden table covered by a pale yellow tablecloth, with Seto standing at his side.

Seto sighed. "They're not 'just squids,' Adam. Do you even know why this is important?"

"No. I'm not a diplomat, Seto. I make videos on the Internet for a living."

Seto paused for a second. "That's fair. But now you're here, and you have to know the history between squids and humans. Here goes."

Adam groaned, but Seto continued anyway:

"We're meeting with the king of the underwater nation of Teuthida, a dictatorship that is almost entirely populated by squids and squid-people. In the past, Minecraftia was heavily involved with trade with Teuthida, largely because they were our main supplier of materials such as prismarine and sponges.

"Sixteen years ago, the Teuthidan monarch at that time, King Derpolollus, inexplicably cut off all ties with Minecraftia and instated a trade embargo. About a year ago, the previous king died, and his son, King Julius Lucius, succeeded him. So far, he has made no attempt to remove the embargo or establish relations with Minecraftia.

"Therefore, today will be the first contact between Teuthida and Minecraftia in sixteen years, and if all goes well, we could facilitate more diplomatic negotiation and better relations between us and them," Seto concluded.

"Okay," Adam said, "but that doesn't explain why you dragged me, a YouTuber who knows nothing about politics, to a meeting with the squids to make a peace treaty."`

"It's symbolic. You were a major part of this conflict, and today you're going to end it," Seto explained.

A long silence hung in the air for a few moments, until it was broken by three loud knocks on the door at the other end of the room.

"They're here," Seto said, rushing to open the door. He did so and fell to one knee as King Julius Lucius entered the room.

A tense second passed before the king spoke: "Honestly, what sort of upbringing did you _have_? Don't you know how to behave in the presence of royalty?"

With a sinking feeling in his gut, Seto looked over at Adam. The latter stood defiantly, looking Julius square in the eye.

Seto quickly got to his feet. "We're sorry, Your Majesty, I—"

Julius turned and glared down at him with piercing silver eyes, causing him to fall silent.

Another moment passed before Julius spoke again:

"Did I startle you? My apologies, young man."

His tone had lost its sarcastic edge and was gentle, like a warm fire on a cold day. Seto wasn't sure what to think.

"I-It's alright," Seto finally said.

With some of the tension defused, Seto was able to get a good look at Julius. He was far taller than either Seto or Adam, and wore black robes made out of a material that Seto didn't recognize. His skin was a pale blue and his hair was navy, as was customary for squid-people. Most notably, where legs would have been on a normal squid-person, he had a set of six large tentacles.

Julius retreated to his end of the table, where a squid-woman wearing a rather form-hugging gray gown and large amounts of jewelry made from pearls, shells, and seaglass pulled out a chair for him. He sat down, and she stood attentively at his side. Her dark blue hair fell in loose waves to her shoulders, and her eyes were sharp.

"Are you going to introduce your...wife?" Adam asked tentatively, gesturing toward her.

"Wife?" Julius asked quizzically. "You must mean my royal adviser. This is the Lady Thalassa Lucia."

Thalassa nodded cordially.

"You're not married, then? Your last names are similar, so I figured..."

Julius's expression grew stormier, but Thalassa threw her head back and laughed.

" _Married_? Don't be ridiculous. Julius is my cousin!" she said.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the room for a few moments.

"W-with all due respect, my Lady," Seto said tentatively, "Adam didn't know that. I...I'm sure he didn't mean to offend either of you."

"Don't worry about it," Thalassa replied. "That seems like a silly thing to get worked up over, anyway."

She gave Julius a pointed look, which he ignored.

" _Anyway_ ," she continued, "if we are done with this foolishness, can we start negotiating?"

Julius sighed. "Then let us begin. I would _like_ to go home as soon as possible, but if we keep wasting time, we are going to be here forever."

"You're saying you don't want to be here?" Adam asked.

"I never said that," Julius replied, quite obviously forcing a smile. "I personally _believe_ that leaving my kingdom for Notch knows how long with only an advisor to make a treaty with an entity that holds hostile feelings toward my species as a whole, _in one of their military bases_ no less, is a situation that one would _want_ to get over with as soon as possible. But what do I know? I am merely the sole ruler of an underwater kingdom."

Adam started to get up. Seto put one hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down.

"Let me handle this," Seto muttered. Adam sighed heavily, but relented.

"Your Majesty," Seto began, being careful not to look Julius directly in the eye. "I understand your concerns, but rest assured that we are doing everything in our power to ensure your safety while you are here. B-but either way, we'd best start, so you can go home as soon as possible."

Julius nodded, cleared his throat, and began:

"My proposition is simple: I would like for you, Mr. Dahlberg, to retract negative sentiments you have voiced about squids in the past, to cease all violent action against individual squids and Teuthida as a whole, and to advocate for issues that are important to Teuthidans—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Adam exclaimed. "I _get_ that you're upset, but you're asking me to be your—your _mouthpiece_! I can't do that—my fans would—"

"Th-that is to say, um, that Adam wo-would like to balance your i-interests with his—his own, Your Majesty! D-don't worry—we'll work out a compromise," Seto stammered.

He felt Adam tap his shoulder, and leaned down until they were at eye level.

"What are you _doing_?" Adam hissed.

"Not being rude, maybe?" Seto replied evenly.

"Seto—" Adam paused, and sighed heavily. "Seto. Are you really just going to let this guy push you around?"

"I'm not," Seto replied. "It's called negotiating."

"You heard him, Seto! He wants to control everything I say! You can't just let him—" Adam exclaimed, his voice building in volume.

"Shush! I really want this to work, for the sake of everyone involved," Seto muttered. "So Adam, _please_...just listen to what he has to say, alright?"

After hesitating for a moment, Adam nodded. He turned back to Julius and Thalassa, who were irritably whispering to each other.

"Okay," Adam began. The squids looked up at him, expressions grim. "I'd like to hear your proposal now."

Thalassa's grey eyes brightened, and she leaned down and whispered something to Julius. The latter cleared his throat, and began:

"As I was saying, I want you to withdraw any negative sentiments you have made about squids, to cease violence toward squids, and to back popular opinions in Teuthida that stem from issues caused by humans."

"Such as...?" Adam prompted.

"Ending commercial fishing, for starters—it is causing food shortages since you are taking so much; also, too many of us are getting hurt by trawl nets. There are also far too many boating accidents involving squid people, so the solution to that problem is to put an end to boating altogether for the time being. The biggest problem is that of pollution in our waters, which consists of pollutants from runoff and human industries, and I would like to see that stopped. Therefore, if you advocate for these things, it will be easier to put a stop to that," Julius said.

"Okay, hold up just _one_ moment," Adam replied indignantly. "Why do _I_ have to be your spokesperson for this? Why can't you just take care of that yourself?"

" _How?_ " Julius snapped. "You made everyone hate us!"

"Calm yourself, Your Majesty!" Thalassa cried. She took a deep breath, and then continued. "Mr. Dahlberg is right. You cannot expect him to take care of all of your problems for you. However, Mr. Dalberg—"

She turned to Adam, and said, "His Majesty has a point. By perpetrating violence against squids, you are setting an example for your fans. I believe that by agreeing to and following through on the first two points, the third will come to fruition on its own."

"Las—" Julius started, and then stopped himself. "Thalassa. This is about more than just a simple treaty. It is about protecting all of Teuthida from human destruction!"

"Which is why we need to start small and compromise to avoid alienating the group we are working," Thalassa said evenly. "A good ruler would know that."

"I _know_ ," Julius growled. His expression softened. "I just want everyone to be safe, that's all."

"But...can't you wait for things to cool down? I mean, it can't _possibly_ be that bad," Adam said.

Julius's face suddenly contorted in a way that made him look like he was about to explode, but Seto wasn't sure why. An ominous feeling manifested in the pit of his stomach.

"Thalassa...can we— _talk_? Outside?" Julius said, in a noticeably restrained tone.

Thalassa nodded. He got up, and they both left the room, closing the oak door behind them.

"What did I do?" Adam whispered anxiously to Seto, who only shrugged.

A few tense minutes passed, silent except for muffled, incoherent speaking from outside. Finally, the door opened and Thalassa stepped halfway inside.

"His Majesty has some important business to attend to back in Teuthida, and we must go immediately," she said. "I am sorry that we have to leave so abruptly, but there is nothing I can do."

"Wait!" Seto called. "Could we—"

But she had already gone. Seto sank down into a chair, left with the feeling that they had done something horribly, horribly wrong.

* * *

 **Next chapter: more from the squids and a new POV.**

 **Please leave a review; it shows that you care!**


	3. III

**HEY LOOK AT ME UPDATING EARLY FOR A CHANGE**

 **Welcome to chapter 3 of Ripples, in which I will be writing from the POV of one of my OCs (which is a tad unorthodox for me; even more so considering that the OC in question is a squid).**

 **I don't expect to be able to update until May due to a number of factors (stage crew, choir concerts and auditions, my pesky B in math, and the ending of Homestuck). Please keep that in mind and don't give up on me.**

 **Thanks to Naf1a7Ate9, djpurple3, and Watcher321 for reviewing. Also thanks to Watcher321 for following, and to Shattered1102 and bwcibo for favoriting and following.**

* * *

 **Ripples -** III

 **POV -** Thalassa

 **Music tip -** Squidissension (Homestuck Vol. 6)

* * *

Thalassa knew that her position was one of the cushiest in the Teuthidan royal court. As the king's personal adviser, she arguably had as much power as her employer (and her job paid very well). Even so, there were times when working with Julius made her want to _scream_.

This was one of those times.

Julius had locked himself in his office and wouldn't let Thalassa, or anyone else, come inside. He only did this when he was angry or planning something or both, and she was certain that this incident fell into the third category.

She had spent nearly half an hour trying to coax him out, to no avail. She had given up on that and decided to instead linger outside the door, hoping to intercept Julius and find out what he was doing once he emerged.

"I know you're there, Lassa," Julius called irritably, his voice muffled by the wall between them. "You can come in now. I wanted to talk to you about something."

Thalassa heard the audible click of the door's lock. She entered the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Julius sat at his desk, a large structure constructed from prismarine and quartz. A mess of papers, which were enchanted to protect them from water and glowed with a faint blue aura, littered the white surface. Sea lanterns set in the ceiling lit up the room with their cold glow, which provided a stark contrast with the murky sea outside the large windows.

Julius's face was etched with a look of mounting frustration. "This is ridiculous, Lassa!" he snapped.

"What is?" Thalassa replied coolly.

"The humans, obviously!" Julius nearly shouted, slamming his hands down on his desk. He took a deep breath, and then continued at a lower volume. "They destroy our home and murder us whenever we come near them, and they think _we're_ the bad guys here?"

Thalassa sighed. "Is this about what happened the other day, Jules?"

"He said it wasn't a big deal, Lassa," Julius hissed. "He said that _humans poisoning our waters_ wasn't a big deal! Lassa, if it weren't a big deal then my mother wouldn't be _dead_!"

"Jules—" Thalassa started, and then stopped herself. She sighed. "Jules. I miss Aurelia as much as you do, but you have to understand that there's no way that Adam Dahlberg could have known about what happened."

"Does it matter? They clearly don't care that they're systematically killing us all!"

"Well, what do you expect to do about it _now_ , considering that _you_ stormed out of what was likely the only chance at a peace treaty because a human hurt your feelings?" Thalassa asked.

"If I can't protect my kingdom peacefully, I may as well use force," Julius stated. "I'm going to declare war on Minecraftia."

Thalassa's stomach dropped. "Come again?" she said weakly.

"I'm going to declare war on Minecraftia," he said again, an odd smile crossing his face. "Just _imagine_ , Lassa! Once we win, we'll never have to worry about those humans ever again!"

"Let me get this straight. Peace negotiations with humans go awry _one_ time. Rather than make another attempt at reconciliation, you decide to wage war on a very large, very powerful nation. Makes perfect sense," Thalassa retorted dryly.

"But can't you _see_? Adam Dahlberg is a _very_ visible man in Minecraftia. If _he_ won't negotiate with us, then who will? My hands are tied, Lassa; there's nothing else I can do!"

"Really? Dahlberg's little sorcerer companion seemed all too willing to make things work."

"Yes, but how much power could he possibly have? Either way, we can't make a treaty with the Sky Army unless their leader consents to the agreement, and let's face it! Adam Dahlberg won't be interested in working with us," Julius retorted.

"Even so, we don't have to wage _war!"_ Thalassa snapped. "Aside from being a direct result of your own impulses, such an operation would be completely impractical and illogical. We ought to better our own nation before expending time and money on conquering another."

Julius started to say something, but Thalassa cut him off.

"Either way, even if this absurd plan _does_ succeed, how do you expect to hold on to a territory that's above sea level?" she added, raising her eyebrows.

Julius rose, towering nearly a foot over Thalassa. A tense silence hung over them for a moment before he started speaking, in a soft yet oddly intense voice.

"Thalassa, listen to me. While this war will be expensive, don't you think protecting everyone is worth the cost?"

"Yes, but—"

"And you're forgetting that I'm the most accomplished sorcerer in Teuthida," Julius added. "I could use my magic to keep everything underwater so our forces can move around."

"Are you _sure_ that's a good idea?" Thalassa asked. "You could really hurt yourself if you're not careful—"

"Lassa, I know what I'm doing," Julius grumbled.

"You might be overestimating—"

"Lassa, can't you see? I'm doing this for you and everyone else in Teuthida," he said. "I'm going to start military operations—can you arrange for Pontus to meet me and discuss that?"

"Jules, are you sure that you're thinking rationally about—"

"You know, Lassa, I would really like it if you didn't question my judgement. I know what I'm doing," Julius growled as he turned to leave.

"Jules, I _implore_ you—"

Julius slammed the door behind him, leaving Thalassa alone. She sighed heavily. "Damn it, Jules, why can't you listen to your head?"

* * *

 **Next chapter: we return to the humans.**

 **Please leave a review; it shows that you care!**


	4. IV

**LOOK WHO'S BACK!**

 **It's me. I'm back.**

 **Welcome to chapter 4 of Ripples, in which I probably butcher the characters.**

 **A few updates pertaining to my personal life:**

 **1) I might not have as much writing time during the summer as I initially believed because I have a job and I'm in my school's very prestigious acapella choir (I had to audition TWICE in five days), which rehearses during the summer.**

 **2) It's time for finals (I am taking them in all 6 of my classes), so I'll have to study instead of write more Ripples. Please be understanding, since my classes are very difficult.**

 **3) I'm writing a webcomic, and my artist friend is illustrating. It's called F8, and the URL and information is in my profile. I'm not saying you should read it, but you should totally read it. (JUST GONNA INSERT A SHAMELESS PLUG DON'T MIND IF I DO)**

 **Thanks to Nafia7Ate9, Watcher321, and 1980-somethingspace-girl for reviewing. Also, thanks to 1980-somethingspace-girl for favoriting and following.**

* * *

 _ **Ripples -**_ **IV**

 **POV:** Seto

 **Music tip:** Another Medium ( _Undertale_ OST)

* * *

"What in Notch's name were you _thinking_?" Seto snapped in Adam's general direction. "Are you—are you _trying_ to get us all killed?"

Adam lounged on a white couch, scrolling through his Twitter feed. He didn't even cast Seto a second glance as the sorcerer frantically paced the red-carpeted floor of Adam's living room.

"Honestly, we should probably prepare for the worst. Pissing off the _king of the squids_ , of all people...I'm surprised he didn't kill you right then and—are you even listening to me?"

Adam's answer was simple: "No."

Seto let out a moan of frustration. "Adam, can you even _comprehend_ how—how much hinged on you making peace?"

"Well, there's your problem, Seto." Adam laughed humorlessly. "You shouldn't have hedged your bets in a guy like me, who _clearly_ understands nothing about anything, to fix the problem. If it was as big a deal as you're making it out to be, then you would have just done it yourself. Isn't that right?"

"No, no!" Seto cried. "I-it's not that I don't think you're competent! I just don't—I just don't think you understand the magnitude of the problem!"

"Enlighten me, then," Adam said.

Seto sighed. "Okay. You—you _should_ al-already know this, but the Sky Army i-is responsible for the protection of—"

"Protection of Minecraftia, even though we don't work with the government, yada, yada, yada. Seto, I really don't appreciate you treating me like a child because I know less about politics than you do," Adam grumbled, waving his hand dismissively.

" _I_ really don't appreciate _you_ being irresponsible and obnoxious because of some ridiculous grudge you have against the squids for no reason!" Seto shouted. "If you had just been polite and respectful toward his Majesty and Ms. Lucia, then we wouldn't be in this mess, would we?"

"Oh, so it's _my_ fault?" Adam retorted, sitting up sharply. "Might I remind you _whose_ idea that fiasco was in the first place?"

Seto knew that Adam was right. He felt a tingling surge of magical energy rush throughout his small frame and clenched his fists, struggling to contain it.

"Anyway," Seto continued, his voice strained, but Adam cut him off:

"Oh, _hell_ no. I'm not letting you change the subject so that we can pretend you're right—"

"Adam, _please_ stop it," Seto pleaded.

"Why? Because you can't admit you were wrong?"

"No!" Seto shrieked. "Because if I vaporize you by mistake then we'll _really_ be screwed!"

Adam noticeably paled. "Seto, are you having one of your...episodes again?"

Seto nodded frantically.

Adam, who had already pressed himself against the wall, took a deep breath. "Okay. You just have to calm down and not hurt anyone. Take some deep breaths, and if you really need to blast something, make it the fireplace, alright?" He gestured toward said fireplace.

A moment later, a lavender sphere of magical energy materialized in Seto's palm. It launched itself across the room into the fireplace, igniting a roaring violet fire. Seto crumpled to the floor, gasping for air.

Adam ran to his side. "Are you alright?"

Seto nodded as he got to his feet.

"You have to learn to control your outbursts," Adam said. "If you have one in battle, it could be really dangerous."

"Isn't that why I'm the head medic?" Seto asked irritably.

"Well, yes," Adam admitted. " _But_ it sure would be nice if you could learn to control your magic under stress. It could be really nice to have in a fight. And I'm sorry for yelling at you, by the way."

"It's fine. Anyway, we should probably focus on averting a possible squid crisis," Seto said.

"You worry too much," Adam replied. "There's no way they'll actually attack us here. And even if they did, we could fight them off, just like before."

"Just in case, though?"

Adam sighed. "Okay, okay. If it's really that important to you, I'll tone down the squid-bashing. That should be enough to keep Julius happy."

Seto smiled brightly. "Now you're getting it. I should probably go now; it's getting late. Do you want to schedule a recording or something tomorrow?"

"Sure thing. I'll call you tomorrow to work out the details. Bye!" Adam called as Seto closed the door of his house.

The setting sun dyed the grass orange as Seto ambled down the street. The first stars were beginning to emerge when he unlocked the door of his house, a cozy-looking A-frame building. He closed it behind him, and that was when the nagging feeling made itself known.

 _Sure, Adam's trying to fix things, but what if something happens? You're completely unprepared for any sort of invasion or evacuation. You have to be ready for the worst-case scenario!_

And no matter how much Seto tried to assure himself that the "worst-case scenario" wouldn't happen, the nagging feeling still lingered.

Despite himself, he opened the door to his basement and slipped down the spiral staircase, which creaked with every step. At the bottom was his extensive library.

He crept through the maze of bookshelves until he reached the back of the sprawling room. Several chests lined the walls. They were quite disorganized, and he had to dig through a few to find what he needed. He made a note to organize them if he got the chance.

When he had finally found enough obsidian, Seto pushed the chests (which were enchanted to be very light) off to the side. He quickly built a frame for a Nether portal in the new space.

As he turned around, he noticed that the nagging feeling was gone. And when he went to bed, he slept easily.

* * *

 **I may have gotten a little heavy-handed with the foreshadowing. I regret nothing.**

 **Next chapter: Julius and Thalassa are back, along with a new character.**

 **Please leave a review; it shows that you care!**


	5. V

**LOOK I MADE THE DEADLINE MOM GET THE CAMERA**

 **Welcome to chapter 5 at _Ripples_ , in which I make an attempt at writing fluff.**

 **I will be on vacation for the next ten days, but I will try to work on the next chapter (and maybe even the one after) if I get the chance.**

 **Thanks to Watcher321 for reviewing and to Naf1a7Ate9 for being there in spirit and giving me more writing tips.**

* * *

 _ **Ripples -**_ **V**

 **POV:** Thalassa

 **Music tip:** Ocean Stars (Mark Hadley; Squiddles!)

* * *

For someone that Thalassa considered the love of her life and her dearest friend, Pontus Lucius sure knew how to get on her nerves.

"Thal, I _know_ you don't like the plan, but just listen to what Julius has to say, alright?" Pontus pleaded from where he sat at her side, for what was probably the thousandth time in the past week. Thalassa wasn't sure that she could take any more of his pleading.

"Pontus, he's being impulsive and he won't take my advice. I need him to stop before he does something stupid or hurts himself," Thalassa replied.

"Julius is a smart squid; he'll be fine. I trust that he knows what he's doing. At least give his plan a chance."

"Listen to me," Thalassa said. "I know my cousin better than anybody, and I know that he sometimes overestimates his capabilities. He's not going to stop himself, so I have to do it for him. I'd expect my _husband_ of all people to be on my side in this mess, but—"

"Stop that, Thalassa. You're being indirect again," Pontus interrupted. His voice wavered, and she suddenly felt a rush of guilt.

"You're right," she sighed. "I'm sorry."

She leaned into his arms, and he pulled her close.

"I'm just worried about this whole thing, you know? If Julius is wrong, he and all of Teuthida are going to pay for it. I just want him to listen to me before it's too late," Thalassa explained.

"But if Julius is right—and I promise you that he _will_ be right, Thal—things will be better for everyone. Just have faith that everything will turn out right, and it will," Pontus replied gently.

"I'll try," Thalassa said, even though she wasn't entirely convinced. Pontus smiled at that.

"I know you can do it, Thal," he said. He kissed her, and her misgivings melted away. She leaned into his arms contentedly.

"Alright, kids, break it up!" she heard Julius say, though his tone was playful. He held a rolled-up paper that had a faint blue aura. They both snapped out of their reverie. "We have a strategy to make!"

"It's our own house!" Thalassa protested, trying her best to maintain a semblance of indignation rather than start laughing.

"Don't listen to him, Thal. He's just jealous that he can't get a wife as amazing as you...or at all, for that matter," Pontus said as he carefully disentangled himself from her.

"Hey. Don't forget who introduced you two," Julius replied.

"Haven't I thanked you enough? Thalassa's the best thing that ever happened to me," Pontus said.

"You're too sweet," Thalassa said. She kissed him on the cheek.

Pontus wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "What? It's the truth!"

"Alright, if you two are _done_..." Julius said exasperatedly. "We really should be getting on with it."

"Yes, of course," Pontus replied hastily. He released Thalassa and sat up straighter.

Julius unfurled the paper—a large map of Minecraftia and the surrounding oceans. He muttered a few words in a language that Thalassa didn't understand, and the map drifted to a spot in the center of the room. Many small lights in a variety of colors and sizes appeared on it, emitting a soft glow.

"Okay," Julius said. "The blue dots are our strongholds. This big one here"—he pointed at a large point in the middle of the ocean to the west of Minecraftia—"is the Teuthidan capital, Coleoidea. The yellow ones are Sky Army bases, and the red one here "—he gestured toward a single bright red point in Minecraftia, not far from the ocean—"is Spawn City, where the Minecraftian government is. Take that, and we have control.

"The problem is that if we try _that_ right away, the Sky Army will come in and stop the whole thing, and we'll be worse off than before," Julius finished.

"So we take out the Sky Army first?" Pontus prompted.

"I would assume so..." Thalassa said. But as she looked over the map, the massive number of yellow points became more and more apparent. "But they're _everywhere_! Wouldn't working toward a diplomatic solution be much easier?"

Pontus glared at her.

"I was _getting_ to that, Lassa," Julius snapped. "If you look closer, you'll see that their bases are small and they're spread out everywhere. Those aren't important. The important one is right here."

He pointed at a large yellow point nestled in a mountain range. " _That_ is their central hub, where Mr. Dahlberg and his friends live. If we get rid of them, the Sky Army is pretty much a non-issue, and Minecraftia is ours for the taking!"

"Brilliant!" Pontus exclaimed.

Thalassa still felt uneasy. "Then what? It's not like the Minecraftian government is just going to let you waltz in and take over!"

"I'll have to make them, then," Julius replied.

"How?" Thalassa asked, dreading what she might hear in response.

"I was going to use water magic to damage the city so much that they'd have no other choice but to surrender."

"Can't you think of anything—ANYTHING AT ALL—that wouldn't result in countless civilian casualties?" Thalassa responded as levelly as she could, trying to suppress her outrage. Julius and Pontus both started shouting at the same time:

"You said you would listen—"

"It's the best choice we have—"

"Thal, he's trying to help—"

"A few deaths are a small price to pay—"

"Both of you, be _quiet_!" Thalassa roared. They fell silent.

"Thank you. Pontus, I said I would listen. I don't have to agree with the choices Julius is making, and I do not. And Jules, do you _honestly_ think this is the only way?"

His reply was simple: "Yes, I do."

"Honestly, I think that it's a bad plan. If you can think of another way, then do that instead. Or better yet, abandon this crazy scheme and try to make peace."

"You just don't underst—fine. I'll try to figure that out, Lassa," Julius said. "Anyway, we'd best work out the finer details. Pontus, do you know how many men we have in the Teuthidan military reserves right now?"

"Um...I think there's about four hundred thousand. Will that be enough?"

"I think so."

"Why do you only think so?" Pontus asked. "Is there something I don't know about?"

"Don't freak out," Julius warned.

"What would I be freaking out about?"

"On _paper_ , the Sky Army has over eight million members—"

"I'm sorry, _what_?" Pontus said incredulously. "Eight _million_? That can't _possibly_ be right!"

" _But_ ," Julius continued, "Only about a hundred thousand of those are actually active members. And, like I said to Lassa earlier, they're really spread out. You'd probably only have to deal with twenty thousand, maybe less. You'd probably only need a hundred thousand men."

"So," Thalassa said. "Just to clarify: the plan so far is for Pontus to take the Teuthidan Army to take out Mr. Dahlberg and his friends, and you'll do...something."

"Right," Julius affirmed.

"How long do you plan on being gone?" she asked.

"I was going to stay in Minecraftia for a few months, just to make sure everything works right. Once it's all settled, I'll come home and send someone else to be in charge," he replied.

"But don't you need someone else to rule here while you're gone?"

"That's where you come in, Lassa," Julius said. "You're the only person I'd trust with my kingdom."

"No," Thalassa stated after barely a second of hesitation.

"No?" he repeated.

"You heard me. I am not leaving you to your own devices up there. Someone else can take care of Teuthida—I know my father would be willing to—"

"Lassa, I'm not a child!" Julius snarled. "I am more than able to handle myself!"

"I'm just _saying_ that I should go with you, so you don't do something impulsive—"

"I'm twenty-four, Thalassa! I'm not just going to start acting up just because you're not around!"

Thalassa felt a tap on her shoulder. Pontus.

"Thal," he whispered. "Calm down. He'll be fine. Either way, I'm going with him."

Thalassa sighed. "Fine."

"Thank you," Julius said sharply. "Anyway, I really must be going. I have an important matter to take care of. I'll see you later!"

Thalassa and Pontus said their goodbyes, and then he was gone.

"Pontus, I don't like this plan at all," Thalassa said. "Jules is going to be all alone up there... with no one to advise him, I'm worried he'll make a mistake too big to undo."

"Don't worry, Thal," Pontus replied gently as he pulled her close to him. "I'm sure Julius knows what he's doing. And either way, I'll be there to keep him from making any _really_ bad decisions."

Thalassa smiled weakly, but she couldn't shake the feeling of dread.

* * *

 **I wrote almost all of that today. I hope it isn't obvious.**

 **Next chapter: a new character appears!**

 **Please leave a review; it shows that you care!**


	6. VI

**WOW I'M NOT DEAD**

 **Welcome to chapter 5 of Ripples, in which I introduce (and probably botch) a new POV character.**

 **Just so everyone is aware: I'm going to be VERY busy with school (baby's first AP class), choir (I have twice as much repertoire as last year and two months to concert season), and the school musical (we open October 29 which means many rehearsals). Expect me to be worse about updates than I already am.**

 **Thanks to Naf1a7Ate9 for reviewing, and for putting up with my BS.**

* * *

 _ **Ripples**_ **\- VI**

 **POV:** Mitch

 **Music tip:** Starfall (Homestuck Vol. 10)

* * *

"And...posted," Mitch said to himself sleepily as he uploaded a new Hunger Games video. It was the third video he had uploaded that day, and between YouTube and everything else he was busy with (being the de facto leader of Team Crafted was hard work), he had been awake for thirty hours straight and was completely exhausted.

He had been drinking coffee all day to stay awake, and he could feel the buzz from his last cup fading. He got up and shuffled into his kitchen to pour himself another.

He had barely taken his first sip when someone knocked on his front door. Mitch sighed irritably.

"Just a moment!" he called.

Adam was waiting outside when he opened the door, his posture rigid. Mitch immediately sensed that something was off.

"Hey, Adam," he greeted his friend cheerfully, despite the tense atmosphere. "To what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

Adam smiled slightly. That was good. If there was one thing that Mitch had learned from YouTube, it was that people were much easier to talk to when they were in a good mood.

"There was something I needed to tell you," Adam said. "It would be best if I did it in person, so here I am."

"At least come inside," Mitch urged him. "Do you want some coffee?"

"At four in the afternoon?"

"Hey, if you're as exhausted as I am, you'd be grateful," Mitch laughed as he ushered Adam inside. "Go sit down. How've you been? I haven't seen you in a few weeks."

"I've been doing a lot of YouTube stuff lately—" Adam started as he sat on a large red couch.

"And in other news, water is wet and grass is green. Tell me something interesting." Mitch sat next to him and stretched out lazily.

"I think I finally got the squid mess under control," Adam continued.

"That's good!" Mitch exclaimed. He actually wasn't sure that the conflict between the Sky Army and the squids was anything more than a massive stunt for his videos—he figured that the Teuthidan government would have better things to do than fight with an Internet celebrity. But he wasn't about to _tell_ Adam that.

"I know, right? I think that Seto's still worried about it, though—"

"Don't think too hard about what _Seto's_ worried about. That's just how he is." He rolled his eyes. Back when they still talked, the sorcerer had always been bringing Mitch his concerns about some minor issue or another. That was one thing he was glad to be rid of—he didn't need someone else's stress on top of his own at this point in time.

"I suppose so," Adam said. "What've you been doing?"

" _Lots_ of YouTube. I'm putting out three videos a day, and I'm so tired. And then Jennifer is on my case about Team Crafted stuff—you know, sponsorships and fan meetups—"

"Right. About that. Mitch, listen. We need to talk about Team Crafted." Adam's tone was clipped, and he wouldn't meet Mitch's eyes.

"Go on..." Mitch said.

"I was talking to Ty the other day, and we thought that..." He paused.

"What?"

"I'm not sure how to put this, but..." Adam took a deep breath, and continued. "We agreed that Team Crafted has...kind of foregone making quality content in favor of making money."

"What's the problem? It's our job, isn't it?" Mitch asked. "It's kind of absurd to _shame_ someone for wanting to make a living."

"I'm not _shaming_ you, Mitch!" Adam spat. "I'm just saying that it seems kind of wrong that the team hub channel is just a mess of advertising, we're advertising on our own channels, and then this whole business with Jennifer—we don't _really_ need a manager for making _gaming videos_ , Mitch! Our fans deserve better, don't you agree?"

"Well, if you don't like it—"

He was cut off by a crash upstairs.

"What the hell was that?" Adam exclaimed.

Mitch shushed him. He started carefully making his way up the stairs, and gestured for Adam to follow him.

There were muffled voices, heavily accented, coming from behind his bedroom door. Mitch pressed his ear to the wood, trying his best to listen in.

"...should have _waited_ to get him alone! Now we're in a strange house, with Notch knows how many humans inside—"

"We could have taken him easily," a different voice interrupted, "if we had come through a lower window instead of climbing through a higher one. Now we're cornered, and the whole house knows that we're here. Great job, fearless leader!"

"Both of you, be quiet! We don't want to make an even bigger ruckus than we already have." The other voices stopped. "Here's the plan. Barra, Manta, Coral: you'll take care of anyone else in the house, so they don't get in the way. Do what you have to, but don't cause too much commotion.

"Tang, Pike, and I will carry out the actual abduction. I have some potions that we're going to use to keep Adam Dahlberg from resisting once we find him. Then—"

"Leave it to Sargo to give himself the best part," the second voice interrupted.

"Let me finish. As I was saying, then we go back home, present him to the king, and—"

Mitch had heard enough. He stepped away from the door.

"Go downstairs and hide," he whispered to Adam. "Doesn't matter where. Just go!"

Adam nodded and slipped down the stairs, his feet barely making a sound. Once he had gone, Mitch took a deep breath and opened the door.

The six squid people that had congregated in his bedroom whirled around as one, eyes wide. They were armed with silvery swords, which they held awkwardly.

"Get him!" a tall young squid-man who appeared to be their leader screeched.

Mitch instinctively reached for his sword, which was propped up against the wall next to the door, as the squids lunged at him.

With a deft strike to the wrist, he quickly disarmed the first one and sent him reeling. He dispatched the second with a few quick slashes to the torso that caused the squid to drop his sword and sprint for the window, his wounds gushing blue blood.

An arrow whistled past his ear and grazed his cheek. The left side of his face came alive with pain. Barely a moment later, it seemed to fade away as he scanned the room for the arrow's source.

He quickly honed in on a squid girl nocking another arrow across the room. Time itself seemed to slow down as he shoved two of her accomplices out of the way and lunged at her.

The girl's eyes widened in shock and she instinctively lowered her bow as Mitch neared. _A fatal mistake_ , Mitch thought.

He brought the flat of the blade down onto the girl's wrist. The bow fell to the carpeted floor with a thump. Almost as if in a dream, he hauled her to her feet and pressed his sword against her throat.

"Drop your weapons," he commanded. "Do it now, or she dies."

"Don't touch her!" the leader cried.

"I won't...if you drop your weapons and leave now," Mitch said.

The squids paused for a moment, considering. Then, one by one, they did as they were told.

Mitch released the girl, and she crumpled to the floor, trembling. Immediately, the leader rushed over and helped her up.

"Now get out, and don't come back," Mitch snapped. "Before I change my mind."

They nodded nervously. One by one, they filed out the bedroom door, down the stairs, and outside. Mitch trailed behind them until they were safely out of the house.

"Okay," he called. "Adam, you can come out now."

Adam emerged from the kitchen, looking utterly bewildered. "What was _that_ all about?"

Mitch told him the whole story, and noticed his expression growing more and more alarmed.

"So basically, six squid people broke into your house to try and take me prisoner?" Adam asked, once Mitch finished telling the story.

"Yes, that's what I said."

"But should I be worried? I mean, there might be more coming after me."

Mitch laughed. "No. I got rid of them in under five minutes. If they're all this incompetent, we have nothing to worry about."

Adam laughed too, but then his smile dropped into a troubled expression.

"So...the reason I came."

Mitch tensed. He had forgotten about that.

"You were talking about the team?" he prompted.

"Yes." Adam paused for a moment, and then threw his hands in the air. "You know what? Forget it."

"...what do you mean?" Mitch asked, not daring to believe his luck.

"That can wait," Adam said. "Clearly, we have bigger problems at the moment."

* * *

 **Next chapter: the last major character enters the game.**

 **Constructive criticism is especially appreciated for this chapter, since I don't normally write fight sequences and there are two later on that I really want to get right. Please leave a review, it shows that you care!**

 **(also I update faster if you guys pay attention to me)**


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